Shell midden research: An interdisciplinary agenda for the Quaternary and Social Sciences

Thanks to their components, formation dynamics and physico-chemical nature, shell middens offer ideal conditions for the preservation of social and environmental proxies. In this sense they can be thought of as field laboratories for the development of interdisciplinary research in the Quaternary and Social Sciences. The progress of such approach depends on a reassessment of regional shell midden studies and on the establishment of common guidelines that allow research focus to shift from regional to continental scales and back. An effective implementation of interdisciplinary Quaternary and Social (archaeological and anthropological) research on shell middens would potentially allow redefining key aspects in human history, from the origins of our species to its spreading to the most remote areas of the world.